There are about 5 million mobile phone apps out there. These are divided between the App Store (iOS phones) and Google Play Store (Android phones).
Image source: https://digitalagencynetwork.com/app-store-optimization-aso-tips-tricks/
So yes, the app stores are as crowded as department stores during festivals! And like the products in the department stores, the apps are all fighting for the same customers. But these customers are not all looking for the same product. They are searching for an app that fulfills their gaming, productivity, social, or communications needs. If your app is designed to fill that specific need, it must be noticed by your target audience, downloaded, and used.
Page Contents
Customer search intent and process of choosing an app
Search has the most critical role in helping users to discover and download apps from the App Store – see the graphic below. Customers search app stores with the intent to find, download and use an app that fills a specific need at a particular time.
Image source: https://digitalagencynetwork.com/app-store-optimization-aso-tips-tricks/
This “search intent” drives specific search patterns and habits and prompts the customer to use particular search words (called “keywords”) to move through the various stages of the app funnel – awareness, acquisition, and retention.
Why should your app be “optimized” for app stores?
It has been observed that people spend just about 7 seconds deciding whether to download your app! (data source: https://incipia.co/post/app-marketing/app-store-screenshots-study-of-the-top-100-apps/).
So, if you want your app to be selected within those seven seconds, it needs to figure higher up in the results of the customer’s search in the App Store. For this, you must “optimize” your app. This process is called “App Store Optimization,” or ASO short.
Mac App Store Optimization
Mac App Store Optimization is a continuous process that finetunes the components of your app to push it higher in the App Store search results. This is similar to the SEO process used for web page ranking in the Google search engine.
App Store Optimization covers all elements of your app:
1. App icon
2. App title
3. Description
4. Videos
5. Screenshots
6. Ratings
7. Reviews
Image source: https://www.seobility.net/en/wiki/App_Store_Optimization_(ASO)
The process of Mac App Store Optimization
A typical App Store search result will display the app name, icon, and subtitle. To make sure that your app is fully optimized for the App Store, the following significant steps are recommended:
- Start by understanding your app user.
- Over 60% of all apps are discovered through an app store search (data source: https://techcrunch.com/2013/04/17/forrester-app-discovery-report/)
- So, you must identify your app customer base and research their need and behavior.
- Start with a proper title (app name)
- An adequately chosen app name identifies what your app does.
- You can use up to 255 characters for your title in the App Store.
- Use keywords smartly
- Keywords in the App Store are limited to 100 characters.
- You can include them in the app title to better impact the search results.
- You need to know your target customers to choose the most appropriate keywords for their search intent.
- Appropriate keywords will also help the search algorithms funnel traffic toward your app.
- Assign your app to the correct App Store category
- The App Store has an “Apps” tab and a “Games” tab – called primary categories.
- The app search funnel guides the customers to this category first, so ensure your app is in the correct type.
- You can also select a secondary category and up to two additional subcategories to improve your app visibility.
- Design a sound app icon
- A well-designed app icon is the first impression of your app.
- Avoid copying other app icon designs.
- Use the right color, shape, and size mix to design an eye-catching app.
- Put down a good description of your app.
- The app description is like a website landing page.
- If your app customer has reached the description part of the app search result, it shows that they are serious about finalizing your app.
- Assume that your customer does not know much about your app
- Use as many keywords as possible in the app description.
- Use screenshots of excellent quality
- The look of your app store page can impress or turn away a potential user.
- All this happens in the seven seconds that we noted above.
- You can use various design tools to create top-quality screenshots.
- Include a preview video
- The “App Preview” function in the Mac App Store permits you to upload 30-second duration videos of your app.
- This is precious content so use it wisely and smartly.
- Push positive app ratings
- App ratings influence the ranking of your app on the App Store.
- Ask your users to rate your app on the App Store.
- The best time to ask users to rate is when they have completed an action to their satisfaction – app search, review, or download.
- Do not be too hasty in asking your users to rate the app – let them use it a few times.
- Localize your app listing
- Use the metadata, keywords, and other description in languages other than English.
- This helps broaden your potential user base, creates a positive feeling in users of those languages, and drives downloads and in-app purchases.
- Use App Store analytics regularly.
- Analytics boost your app’s marketing by helping you finetune your customer’s entire app funnel experience.
- Analytics also update your app’s performance at every stage of the app marketing funnel.
- Re-evaluate your app at regular intervals
- Review your analytics data regularly, check on keyword trends in your app category, and finetune any element of the app that you feel needs to be improved
- Remember to make changes incrementally, i.e., one at a time.
- Test the changes before rolling out to iron out any issues
Conclusion
As an app owner, how do you push your app into the consideration set of your customers? If you are smart, you will not depend only on luck. You will create and execute a strong app marketing strategy covering all stages of the customer journey through the app funnel. The most important part of your app marketing strategy is “App Store Optimization.”
Of course, the suggestions given here are not the final word on improving your app ranking on the App Store because Apple does not share its exact process of determining page ranks. But you must use these points as a guide to design and implement an effective App Store Optimization strategy if you want your app to be visible, have plenty of downloads, and generate income for you.